Who on NS appreciates ski racing?

I think a lot of the progression in ski technique (outside of park, pipes etc...) has come from racing. Therefore racing helps skiing progress. Isn't that what most of us are trying to do on the mountain anyway? Yeah, we're more interested in doing it in the park,pipe or (preferably) powder but I still have a lot of time for racing.
The only downside I can see with racing is not with the sport itself, but with the mentality that sometimes goes with it. I haven't really had an issue with racers in the US, but the ones in Europe are complete f**king wankers. I was in Saas Fee two summers ago and had a couple of run ins with racers Because 1) they thought that anyone with race stock skis should be allowed to jump the lift line ahead of anyone with twin tips or a snowboard. 2) I got given given shit by this little punk on a T-bar because he didn't like the way I was sitting on it (at least that was my translation of his arm flapping and squeky french) and 3,( and this is the best) we came up one day to find a slalom course being set on the landing of the main kicker! I shit you not, the coach and his team seemed to think that anything other than racing was irrelevant so they should be able to use any terrain they wanted. They honestly believed that they were so superior to us that they could just take over our terrain. It almost ended up with a glacier wide pitched battle between some of the race teams and the British Freeski camp allied with some Scandi snowboard camp that we shared terrain with.
So overall
Racing = GoodRacers (Stateside) = seem fine to meRacers (Europe) = pricks
 
-The reason for the burn outs is the system. TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN RACE TRAIN TRAIN RACE TRAIN!!!!! It can beat the shit out of you.

-Have you ever raced? Tuned skis are INCREDIBLY important for doing well. If you can hold a strong edge on ice because your ski is tuned well enough, you're gonna have a bad time or even fall. Wax makes you go faster. Ski racing is about going fast

-They don't usually wait for ideal conditions if they have rock skis. They just don't want to trash their race skis.

-I don't know where you're getting the conservative out of the gates. Most ski racers I know kill it on the mountain. Look at Daron Rahlves, he slays AK lines now.

-Their style is rigid for a reason. Racing is judged on style. It's all about speed. They are incredibly solid skier and are very technically skilled. They also can't be loose. Imaging being loose on a race course. You would fall, miss gates, or just have a shitty run. When that gets hardwired into your brain it becomes muscle memory, so you do it outside of the course

-I'd mostly blame America for that. If you go to Europe there really isn't out of bounds and things like that. Most of those rules originate from people suing. It drives insurance up, and while you may be in control, if you hit someone, that person might sue the mountain for not enforcing rules that keep people safe.

Also, to address the skiing the mountain here. It's the same way that there are park rats who never leave the park.
 
thanks for responding. I'm going to rebut a bit, though there's no beef here.

regarding tuning, I was criticizing how racers care for freeride skis, tuning for a race is completely different (as would be competitive pipe skiing). many people (and I'm guessing especially racers) would be shocked at the condition of my skis to the point that they would say I need new ones.

I'm glad that Daron Rahlves slays AK and skiercross now. My respect for him is on the rise. My comment about racers being conservative outside of gates is a big stereotype that does not go across the board. When I typed that I had in mind skiing with my ex racer roommate who would not follow me into areas to hit cliffs, and would ski around.

Some of the best racers are not that rigid. Case in point: Bode. The ones who can break that rigidness and be fluid on the whole mountain are the ones that get my respect.
 
Depending where you're from there's a great course at Sugar Bowl, Alpine Meadows, Copper, Aspen, Steamboat has a start and a few features.

I competively race especially ski cross and I started becaues my parents made me but I do it now because I get a lot of support from sponsors and other people that I wouldn't be able to travel as much as I do to ski without it. When ever possible I'll free ski, pow and park but I love racing and going fast. I do all disciplines but mainly ski cross.

To the OP nice pic great angulation do you race for a team?
 
Word, yeah, no beef.

The tuning thing makes sense now. I took the rigidity thing as more of a style thing. Bode is much more rigid than someone like say T-Wall or Mike Hornbeck, who just kinda let loose after they land aka afterbang. I didn't really mean like super stiff, I was more talking about the style aspect.
 
I highly respect all the racers. Do you know how hard it is to go upwards of 70 mph. And maintain good form? One mistake and your body will be broken, and you have a high chance for dieing. Do you know the balls that takes
 
Ski racing is tight. There are some really talented guys and girls who have been performing at the olympics. Linsey Vonn has killed it and had some rough fallls. Bode killed it and not a skier but lindsey jacobellis is a tight boarder cross racer.

 
I love bashing gates! Slalom especially. Racing made me the skier I am today, and i still love watching it. I love the sound of hitting the gates with pads!!!

 
I really appreciate, there insane, flying down the hill at 100km/h ++ crazy

if i was to race it would be Skicross followed by GS
 
I love racing just got back from a racing trip that also allowed me to ski a far better park than at my mountain. Fortunately my racing program is really chill so me and another guy on my team just went and shredded park between races and at the end of the day.

Sparks Notes: Racing is fun, park is fun so i make time for both
 
y would your karma go down? racing is essential to the sport in manyways and gets kids into skiing from a young age, more than freeskiing had up until recently so we owe alot of the best freeskiers to racing roots, plus whats more fun than going down a mtn as fast as possible? i know me and my friends always like to take a few fast runs before and after hitting the park. i say +k to you sir
 
+k. That was a sick picture!! haha i race for my highschool on weekends for half the day, and ski park or pow the other half. ( if theres no pow i ski park)
 
yeah bro... i have raced my hole life and this year is def my last... i was never really good and i peaked last year when i went to finals.
but the reason im quitting. is because the people in it.. Many of them are so materialistic and literally have competitions on how nice equipment their parents buy them... the people are so serious and negative, it drains the fun out of the sport. but when im skiing gates and im having a great run, there is nothing better.
also, its a TON of money.. if you are serious you need at least 4 pairs of skis.. the total for skis alone could be 5000 dollars with bindings... plus all the maintenance for the skis- sharpening and waxing every night.
for me park is the most fun because you can mess around and hang out with your friends. its not as serious and competitive as racing.
 
Well they tend to be all over the place but most try to hide them to avoid having public go on them, usually they are closed off. but they had one at COP and ive been at nakiska, norquay, red mountain, probly some other places but they usually get built and torn down because they can be pretty dangerous to gappers who think they are good skiers.
 
I raced for a long time and enjoyed it alot. It just ended up costing too much money. I appreciate the talent and commitment it takes. Just not as fun as freesking
 
wow, i am actualy suprised about how much ns likes racing. My opinion that it sucks dick still stands however.
 
racings a blast. especially slalom. fast turns are so much fun and to be honest, once you start really arching turns with a 12m radius ski, its sooooooooooo hard to go back to twin tips.
 
Racing is great. The BEST background to get onto park skiing. i races when i was little and now im skiing park. sometimes i jump into a course and rip it up. its great to see the looks on all the racers that cant ski as fast as the "Park Rat".
 
good thread. racing is my life haha. i go to a school where i can ski errday and race all winter without failing. shits harrrrrrd work, especially missing about half the school days throughout the winter but its awesome, such a great sport and its good to see it get this much respect on NS.
granted many racers may be dicks, but you cannot hate on the sport itself.
headin up to sugarloaf for nationals next week. what i've been working towards and im psyched.
 
I really enjoy watching racing and hittin up some gates when the racers are done at my hill. I wish I had the money to get into it.
 
i've been racing since i was around 9, i used to be really competitive with it but got bored of it as i grew older. I do it for fun for my high school team and enjoy free skiing on the weekends
 
I honestly don't like racing at all, but i wish i would have started out racing so i could be a better all around skier today.
 
i raced for i dunno how long. skied bumps too. ive done pretty much everything you can do on alpine skis. hopefully i can learn to teli this winter.
 
in the downhill event in the olympics the jump at the end was 190 feet and they reached upto 90 mph, no one cannot say that doesnt take balls or skill
 
my school has race team that I signed up for to miss school and ski, and racing is actually so fun (I know it sounds lame)
 
thats what it seems like, but that single run (no matter what, if you fall or not) will stay with you for a long time after. ive been skiing park for a while now, and i did a high school race, i have to say, it was fun, going fast and ripping up the gates. (i once was a racer) It was fun and it is prety intense. but a 50ft slow 3 tail is damn sick!
 
i don't understand the hate on racing

some racers are dicks, some park skiers are dicks, some racers are gapers, some park skiers are gapers

everything else is just swooping generalizations
 
I dont mind it, but the racer kids at my hill are hugeee douchebags who think they are the shit at skiing. So that kinda turns me off of it.
 
Racing if nothing else makes you learn how to really rip turns and become the best skier you can which ends up helping in the park. Props if you can consistently compete for a podium in races. it is truely difficult.
 
like half my friends started out racing.. me moguls. so ya i respect em. plus it gets u ready fur comps so u aint nervious
 
You have just been trolled.
Seriously though, racing is sick. I was on team pano which has an all-mountain team as well as a race team, and I trained for like 6 days with the race team and did a race, it was super hard but mad fun. I just really couldn't handle the intensity of the training, but its sick if you can. And I'm stoked on super-combi in the olympics this year, I can't imagine having to do a speed and technical event in the same day. Mad props to anyone competing in that.
 
ive never raced personally but i think its pretty bad ass, haulin 70mph down the mountain deserves some respect in my book
 
it gets my respect. racing in general is actually pretty sick, and exciting to watch, it's just that there are some racers that are total douchebag pricks! but someone above me mentioned skiiercross?? anyway they have one at cop and it is soo fun to race your friends down every once in a while, trying to double the rollers is sketch. i'd say ski cross/boardercross are my favorite olympic events, followed by ski racing and hockey of course.
 
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